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Analysis of Lunar Lineaments: Far Side and Polar Mapping

✍ Scribed by Nancy L. Chabot; Gregory V. Hoppa; Robert G. Strom


Book ID
102568753
Publisher
Elsevier Science
Year
2000
Tongue
English
Weight
498 KB
Volume
147
Category
Article
ISSN
0019-1035

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✦ Synopsis


Previous mapping of linear structures on the lunar near side shows that lineaments are not equally oriented in all directions but rather have preferred orientations. The preferred orientations of near-side lunar lineaments are roughly consistent with the tectonic pattern predicted by relaxation of a formerly larger tidal bulge on the Moon due to the Moon's continuing recession from the Earth. We have mapped lineaments on the lunar far side and both the polar regions as well as re-examined lineaments mapped in the sub-Earth and anti-Earth regions to determine if the lineament patterns observed in these regions are also consistent with being produced by the collapse of a once larger tidal bulge on the Moon. The lunar far side is found to have a lineament pattern similar to that previously observed on the near side, which is consistent with being produced by the collapse of a once larger tidal bulge. However, the sub-Earth and anti-Earth regions show a lineament pattern indistinguishable from that observed on the rest of the lunar near and far sides, even though relaxation of a formerly larger tidal bulge would produce a significantly different pattern in these regions. Collapse of a once larger tidal bulge also predicts a near to far side lineament trend in the lunar polar regions, but mapped lineaments in the polar regions show no evidence for such a trend. Overall, the observed lunar lineament patterns do not support the predictions of a global tectonic pattern due to the collapse of a once larger tidal bulge on the Moon and therefore require an alternate explanation.


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